A month ago, when the Broncos thought Brock Osweiler would return to be their franchise quarterback, Denver general manager John Elway thought briefly about Griffin as one of several potential backups.

But after making a few phone calls, Elway was concerned about Griffin’s character. Elway never did express interest in the former Washington quarterback who was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year in 2012 but had several fallouts with Coach Mike Shanahan, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and teammates.

Don’t need Scotland Yard to figure this one out. Mike Shanahan was John Elway’s coach for two Super Bowl victories. Shanahan was RGIII’s coach in Washington, and for a season, the pair worked well together.

Then, it fell apart. Spectacularly. There is a mountain of evidence that Shanahan and RGIII had a great dislike for one another after the QB was injured in a playoff game against Seattle. Shanahan re-inserted Griffin in the game and he was injured, badly.

The enmity grew worse during RGIII’s rehab, and within a year, Shanahan was toast.

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Jason McIntyre

Spent a few years as a sportswriter in newspapers, then a few years as a magazine reporter, and freelanced for many outlets before starting The Big Lead in 2006. It was sold in 2010 and acquired by USA Today in 2012. Jason can also be heard on Fox Sports Radio, Saturday mornings from 6-9 am EST.